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WO2025163770A1 - Point d'accès, point d'accès partagé et terminal - Google Patents

Point d'accès, point d'accès partagé et terminal

Info

Publication number
WO2025163770A1
WO2025163770A1 PCT/JP2024/002931 JP2024002931W WO2025163770A1 WO 2025163770 A1 WO2025163770 A1 WO 2025163770A1 JP 2024002931 W JP2024002931 W JP 2024002931W WO 2025163770 A1 WO2025163770 A1 WO 2025163770A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
access point
transmission opportunity
shared
communication
terminal
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
PCT/JP2024/002931
Other languages
English (en)
Japanese (ja)
Inventor
ヒランタ アベセカラ
朗 岸田
航太郎 永野
裕介 淺井
泰司 鷹取
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
NTT Inc
NTT Inc USA
Original Assignee
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp
NTT Inc USA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp, NTT Inc USA filed Critical Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp
Priority to PCT/JP2024/002931 priority Critical patent/WO2025163770A1/fr
Publication of WO2025163770A1 publication Critical patent/WO2025163770A1/fr
Pending legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L27/00—Modulated-carrier systems
    • H04L27/26—Systems using multi-frequency codes
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W84/00—Network topologies
    • H04W84/02—Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
    • H04W84/10—Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
    • H04W84/12—WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Definitions

  • Embodiments relate to access points, shared access points, and terminals.
  • a wireless communication network such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), for example, an access point (AP) and a terminal called a station (STA) are wirelessly connected, and data is sent and received between the AP and the terminal via wireless communication.
  • AP access point
  • STA terminal called a station
  • TXOP channel occupation period
  • the IEEE 802.11be standard also allows for TXOP sharing, which shares transmission opportunities between an AP and multiple communication stations within the communication area of that AP. This makes it possible to share transmission opportunities between multiple communication stations within the range of a single BSS (basic service set). For example, after a terminal located within the communication area of an AP transmits data to the AP during an acquired transmission opportunity, a remaining period of the transmission opportunity may occur. In this case, TXOP sharing is achieved by the terminal that transmitted data to the AP transferring the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to either the AP to which the data is to be sent or another terminal located within the communication area of that AP.
  • BSS basic service set
  • a remaining period of a transmission opportunity occurs after a terminal transmits data to an AP as described above, it is required that the remaining period of the transmission opportunity be allocable to either an AP other than the AP to which the data is being transmitted, or to a terminal located in the communication area of an AP other than the AP to which the data is being transmitted. In other words, it is required that the remaining period of an acquired transmission opportunity be allocable to communication stations belonging to different BSSs, and that the transmission opportunity be shared among multiple communication stations belonging to different BSSs.
  • IEEE802.11 Standard (IEEE Std 802.11TM-2020), Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications, Section 10.23.2.7 (Sharing an EDCA TXOP), December 2020 IEEE 802.11be Draft Standard (IEEE P802.11beTM/D4.1), Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications, Amendment 8: Enhancements for extremely high throughput (EHT), Section 35.2.1.2 (Triggered TXOP sharing procedure), September 2023 Shikhar Verma, Tiago Koketsu Rodrigues, Yuichi Kawamoto, and Nei Kato, “A Survey on Multi-AP Coordination Ap proaches over Emerging WLANs: Future Directions and Open Challenges”, arXiv:2306.04164v1 [cs.NI], 7 June 2023
  • the object of the present invention is to provide an access point, a shared access point, and a terminal that enable multiple communication stations that belong to different BSSs to share transmission opportunities.
  • the access point includes a management unit, and in response to receiving a notification from a first terminal to transfer the remaining period of a transmission opportunity to the first access point, the management unit allocates at least a portion of the remaining period of a transmission opportunity to a second access point whose communication coverage area is different from that of the first access point.
  • the present invention provides an access point, a shared access point, and a terminal that enable multiple communication stations that belong to different BSSs to share transmission opportunities.
  • FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the layout of communication stations constituting a communication system in a building in the embodiment.
  • FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a sharing AP according to the embodiment.
  • FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a shared AP according to the embodiment.
  • FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a terminal according to the embodiment.
  • FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a sharing AP according to the embodiment.
  • FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the layout of communication stations constituting a communication system in a building in the embodiment.
  • FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a
  • FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a shared AP according to the embodiment.
  • FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the terminal according to the embodiment.
  • FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by a sharing AP when a transmission opportunity is shared among a plurality of communication stations that belong to different BSSs in the embodiment.
  • FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of communication processing performed in an operation in which a transmission opportunity is shared among a plurality of communication stations that belong to different BSSs in the communication system according to the embodiment.
  • FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing another example of communication processing performed in an operation in which a transmission opportunity is shared among a plurality of communication stations belonging to different BSSs in the communication system according to the embodiment, which is different from that shown in FIG.
  • FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram showing another example of communication processing performed in the communication system according to the embodiment, in which a transmission opportunity is shared among a plurality of communication stations belonging to different BSSs.
  • FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a format of a remaining period allocation frame used in the embodiment.
  • FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by a first AP, which is one of the shared APs, when a transmission opportunity is shared among a plurality of communication stations belonging to different BSSs in a certain modified example.
  • FIG. 15 is a sequence diagram showing an example of communication processing performed in an operation in which a transmission opportunity is shared among a plurality of communication stations belonging to different BSSs in the communication system according to the modification of FIG.
  • FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment.
  • communication system 1 includes a sharing AP 10 and shared APs 20-1 and 20-2 as access points (APs), and terminals 30-1A, 30-1B, 30-2A, and 30-2B as stations (STAs).
  • Each of sharing AP 10, shared APs 20-1 and 20-2, and terminals 30-1A, 30-1B, 30-2A, and 30-2B functions as a single communication station in communication system 1.
  • a wireless network such as a wireless LAN is formed in communication system 1.
  • the sharing AP 10 will also be referred to as AP0, and the shared APs 20-1 and 20-2 will also be referred to as AP1 and AP2, respectively.
  • Terminals 30-1A, 30-1B, 30-2A, and 30-2B will also be referred to as STA1A, STA1B, STA2A, and STA2B, respectively.
  • the shared APs 20-1 and 20-2 have the same configuration. Therefore, unless otherwise distinguished, the shared APs 20-1 and 20-2 will also be simply referred to as shared AP 20.
  • Terminals 30-1A, 30-1B, 30-2A, and 30-2B have the same configuration. Therefore, unless otherwise distinguished, the terminals 30-1A, 30-1B, 30-2A, and 30-2B will also be simply referred to as terminal 30.
  • sharing AP 10 is connected to network 40 and can communicate with a server (not shown) on network 40 via wired or wireless connections. Sharing AP 10 can also communicate with each of shared APs 20-1 and 20-2 via wired or wireless connections.
  • Shared APs 20-1 and 20-2 are installed in locations physically separated from each other, and have different communication areas. In one example, part of the communication area of shared AP 20-1 overlaps with part of the communication area of shared AP 20-2. However, in another example, there may be no overlap between the communication areas of shared APs 20-1 and 20-2.
  • Each shared AP 20 is capable of wireless communication with each terminal 30 located in its communication area. Each shared AP 20 communicates wirelessly with each terminal 30 located in its communication area, for example, in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard.
  • Each of the terminals 30 is a wireless terminal such as a smartphone or a PC (Personal Computer).
  • each of the terminals 30-1A and 30-1B is located within the communication area of the shared AP 20-1 and is capable of wireless communication with the shared AP 20-1.
  • each of the terminals 30-2A and 30-2B is located within the communication area of the shared AP 20-2 and is capable of wireless communication with the shared AP 20-2.
  • one BSS (basic service set) is formed by one shared AP 20 and terminals 30 located in the communication area of that shared AP 20.
  • BSS1 is formed by shared AP 20-1 and terminals 30-1A, 30-1B, etc. located in the communication area of shared AP 20-1
  • BSS2 is formed by shared AP 20-2 and terminals 30-2A, 30-2B, etc. located in the communication area of shared AP 20-2.
  • a BSS is also referred to as a "cell.”
  • each of the terminals 30 can communicate with the sharing AP 10 via one or more of the shared APs 20 that are capable of wireless communication. Therefore, each of the terminals 30 can communicate with a server on the network 40 via one or more corresponding shared APs 20 and the sharing AP 10.
  • each of the terminals 30-1A and 30-1B is connected to the sharing AP 10 via the shared AP 20-1
  • each of the terminals 30-2A and 30-2B is connected to the sharing AP 10 via the shared AP 20-2.
  • connection method between each of the terminals 30 and the sharing AP 10 as described above is also referred to as a "multi-AP connection method.”
  • each of the shared APs 20 is also referred to as an "access point belonging" to the sharing AP 10 in the multi-AP connection method. Therefore, the sharing AP 10 is also referred to as an "associated AP,” and each of the shared APs 20 is also referred to as an "associated AP.”
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the placement of communication stations that make up a communication system in a building in an embodiment.
  • a building 50 is divided into four rooms 51, 52, 53, and 54, and a sharing AP 10 (AP0) is placed in the center of the building 50.
  • AP0 sharing AP 10
  • each of shared APs 20-1 and 20-2 is capable of communicating with sharing AP 10.
  • rooms 51 and 52 are included in the communication range of shared AP 20-1 (AP1). Therefore, terminal 30-1A (STA1A) located in room 51 and terminal 30-1B (STA1B) located in room 52 can each communicate wirelessly with shared AP 20-1 and are connected to sharing AP 10 via shared AP 20-1. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 2, rooms 53 and 54 are included in the communication range of shared AP 20-2 (AP2). Therefore, terminal 30-2A (STA2A) located in room 53 and terminal 30-2B (STA2B) located in room 54 can each communicate wirelessly with shared AP 20-2 and are connected to sharing AP 10 via shared AP 20-2.
  • Each of the sharing AP 10, shared AP 20, and terminal 30 has wireless communication functions based on, for example, the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) reference model.
  • OSI Open Systems Interconnection
  • wireless communication functions are divided into seven layers (Layer 1: Physical Layer, Layer 2: Data Link Layer, Layer 3: Network Layer, Layer 4: Transport Layer, Layer 5: Session Layer, Layer 6: Presentation Layer, and Layer 7: Application Layer).
  • the data link layer includes an LLC (Logical Link Control) sublayer and a MAC (Media Access Control) sublayer.
  • FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a sharing AP according to an embodiment.
  • FIG. 3 shows an example in which the sharing AP 10 communicates via wired communication with a server on the network 40, and also communicates wirelessly with each of the shared APs 20.
  • the sharing AP 10 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a wireless communication module 14, and a wired communication module 15.
  • a CPU Central Processing Unit
  • ROM Read Only Memory
  • RAM Random Access Memory
  • the CPU 11 is a processing circuit that controls the overall operation of the sharing AP 10.
  • the ROM 12 is, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory.
  • the ROM 12 stores programs and data for controlling the sharing AP 10.
  • the RAM 13 is, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory.
  • the RAM 13 is used as a working area for the CPU 11.
  • the wireless communication module 14 is a circuit used to send and receive data via wireless signals.
  • the wireless communication module 14 is connected to an antenna.
  • the wired communication module 15 is a circuit used to send and receive data via wired signals. In the example shown in Figure 3, the wireless communication module 14 can be connected (wirelessly connected) to the shared APs 20-1 and 20-2. The wired communication module 15 can then be connected to the network 40.
  • the wireless communication module 14 can be connected to the network 40, and the wired communication module 15 can be connected (wirelessly) to the shared APs 20-1 and 20-2.
  • the sharing AP 10 communicates wiredly with both the server on the network 40 and the shared AP 20
  • the sharing AP 10 does not have a wireless communication module 14.
  • the wired communication module 15 can be connected to the network 40 and can be connected (wired) to the shared APs 20-1 and 20-2.
  • the sharing AP 10 communicates wirelessly with both the server on the network 40 and the shared AP 20
  • the sharing AP 10 does not have a wired communication module 15.
  • the wireless communication module 14 can be connected to the network 40 and can be connected (wirelessly) to the shared APs 20-1 and 20-2.
  • FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a shared AP according to an embodiment.
  • FIG. 4 shows an example of a case where the shared AP 20 communicates wirelessly with the sharing AP 10.
  • each of the shared APs 20-1 and 20-2 has the same hardware configuration as the example shown in FIG. 4.
  • the shared AP 20 includes, for example, a CPU 21, a ROM 22, a RAM 23, and a wireless communication module 24.
  • the CPU 21 is a processing circuit that controls the overall operation of the shared AP 20.
  • the ROM 22 is, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory.
  • the ROM 22 stores programs and data for controlling the shared AP 20.
  • the RAM 23 is, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory.
  • the RAM 23 is used as a working area for the CPU 21.
  • the wireless communication module 24 is a circuit used to send and receive data via wireless signals.
  • the wireless communication module 24 is connected to an antenna.
  • the wireless communication module 24 can be connected (wirelessly connected) to the sharing AP 10 and to terminals 30 located in the communication area.
  • the shared AP 20 communicates with the sharing AP 10 via a wired connection
  • the shared AP is further provided with a wired communication module (not shown).
  • the wireless communication module 24 can be connected to a terminal 30 located in the communication area, and the wired communication module can be connected (wired) to the sharing AP 10.
  • FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a terminal according to an embodiment.
  • each of terminals 30-1A, 30-1B, 30-2A, and 30-2B has a hardware configuration similar to the example shown in FIG. 5.
  • terminal 30 includes, for example, a CPU 31, ROM 32, RAM 33, a wireless communication module 34, a display 35, and storage 36.
  • the CPU 31 is a processing circuit that controls the overall operation of the terminal 30.
  • the ROM 32 is, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory.
  • the ROM 32 stores programs and data for controlling the terminal 30.
  • the RAM 33 is, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory.
  • the RAM 33 is used as a working area for the CPU 31.
  • the wireless communication module 34 is a circuit used to send and receive data via wireless signals.
  • the wireless communication module 34 is connected to an antenna.
  • the wireless communication module 34 can be connected (wirelessly connected) to one or more corresponding shared APs 20.
  • the display 35 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an EL (Electro-Luminescence) display.
  • the display 35 displays a GUI (Graphical User Interface) corresponding to application software, etc.
  • the storage 36 is a non-volatile storage device.
  • the storage 36 stores system software, etc. for the terminal 30.
  • FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a sharing AP according to an embodiment.
  • the sharing AP 10 functions as a computer comprising an upper layer processing unit 110, a management unit 120, a frame processing unit 130, and a transceiver unit 140.
  • the upper layer processing unit 110 is a functional block that executes processing corresponding to the LLC sublayer of the second layer and layers 3 to 7.
  • the management unit 120 and frame processing unit 130 are functional blocks that execute processing corresponding to the MAC sublayer of the second layer.
  • the transceiver unit 140 is a functional block that executes processing corresponding to the MAC sublayer of the second layer and layer 1.
  • the upper layer processing unit 110 generates LLC packets by, for example, adding a DSAP (Destination Service Access Point) header or an SSAP (Source Service Access Point) header to data received from the network 40.
  • the upper layer processing unit 110 then inputs the generated LLC packets to the frame processing unit 130.
  • the upper layer processing unit 110 also extracts data from the LLC packets input from the frame processing unit 130.
  • the upper layer processing unit 110 then transmits the extracted data to the network 40.
  • the management unit 120 manages the connections (logical connections) between the sharing AP 10 and each of the terminals 30 in the multi-AP connection method.
  • the multi-AP connection method data is exchanged between the sharing AP 10 and each of the terminals 30 while each of the terminals 30 is wirelessly connected to one or more corresponding shared APs 20.
  • the management unit 120 manages the wireless connections between each of the terminals 30 and one or more corresponding shared APs 20. As a result, the management unit 120 manages the wireless connections between each of the multiple shared APs 20 and terminals 30 located in their communication areas.
  • the management unit 120 stores management information 121 related to the multi-AP connection method. Based on the management information 121, the management unit 120 manages the connection between the sharing AP 10 and each of the terminals 30 in the multi-AP connection method.
  • the management information 121 includes information related to the access points used in the multi-AP connection method, i.e., information related to each of the sharing AP 10 and the shared AP 20.
  • the information related to the access points used in the multi-AP connection method indicates, for example, information related to the identifier, frequency band, and operational parameters for each of the access points used.
  • the AP information for each AP used, for example, a MAC address or the like is indicated as information about the identifier, and for example, the frequency band used in the multi-AP connection method is indicated as information about the frequency band.
  • Possible frequency bands include the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, 6 GHz band, 45 GHz band, and 60 GHz band.
  • Each frequency band may also include multiple channels.
  • the AP information may indicate information about the channel for each AP used, instead of or in addition to information about the frequency band.
  • the AP information indicates operational parameter information for each AP used, such as CWmin, CWmax, AIFS (arbitration interframe space), and TXOP (transmission opportunity) Limit.
  • CWmin and CWmax indicate the minimum and maximum values of the contention window, respectively.
  • the contention window is a parameter used to calculate backoff, which is the transmission waiting time for collision avoidance.
  • AIFS is a fixed transmission waiting time set for each traffic access category. Examples of traffic access categories include "VO (Voice)", “VI (Video)”, “BE (Best Effort)", “BK (Background)", and "LL (Low Latency)".
  • TXOP Limit indicates the upper limit of TXOP, which is the channel occupancy period.
  • the management information 121 also includes information about the terminals 30 (e.g., terminals 30-1A, 30-1B, 30-2A, and 30-2B) connected to the sharing AP 10 using the multi-AP connection method.
  • the information about the terminals indicates, for each terminal 30 connected to the sharing AP 10, information such as the identifier of that terminal 30 and the identifier of the shared AP 20 through which the connection to the sharing AP 10 is made.
  • Information about the identifier of each connected terminal 30 indicates, for example, the MAC address of that terminal 30.
  • Information about the identifier of the shared AP 20 through which the connection to the sharing AP 10 is made indicates, for example, the MAC address of that shared AP 20.
  • the frame processing unit 130 receives LLC packets containing data from the upper layer processing unit 110.
  • the frame processing unit 130 When the sharing AP 10 communicates wirelessly with each of the shared APs 20, the frame processing unit 130 generates a MAC frame by adding a MAC header to the LLC packet received from the upper layer processing unit 110. The frame processing unit 130 then outputs the generated MAC frame to the transceiver unit 140.
  • the frame processing unit 130 extracts the LLC packet from the MAC frame received from the transceiver unit 140. The frame processing unit 130 then outputs the extracted LLC packet to the upper layer processing unit 110.
  • a MAC frame containing data is also referred to as a "data frame.”
  • the frame processing unit 130 When the sharing AP 10 communicates with each of the shared APs 20 via wired communication, the frame processing unit 130 outputs the LLC packet input from the upper layer processing unit 110 to the transceiver unit 140. The frame processing unit 130 also outputs the LLC packet input from the transceiver unit 140 to the upper layer processing unit 110.
  • notification information and control information are input to the frame processing unit 130 from the management unit 120.
  • the notification information from the management unit 120 includes notification information to be notified to either the shared AP 20 or the terminal 30, and may include the information indicated by the management information 121 described above.
  • the control information from the management unit 120 includes control information related to controlling the operation of either the shared AP 20 or the terminal 30.
  • the frame processing unit 130 When the sharing AP 10 communicates wirelessly with each of the shared APs 20, the frame processing unit 130 generates, as MAC frames, a management frame including notification information from the management unit 120 and a control frame including control information from the management unit 120.
  • the frame processing unit 130 then outputs the generated management frames and control frames to the transmission/reception unit 140.
  • data, notification information, control information, etc. are input to the frame processing unit 130 from the transceiver unit 140.
  • the notification information from the transceiver unit 140 includes notification information notified from either the shared AP 20 or the terminal 30.
  • the control information from the transceiver unit 140 includes control information related to controlling the operation of either the sharing AP 10, the shared AP 20, or the terminal 30.
  • the frame processing unit 130 outputs the LLC packet containing data to the upper layer processing unit 110.
  • the frame processing unit 130 outputs the input notification information, control information, etc. to the management unit 120.
  • a management frame and a control frame are input as MAC frames from the transceiver 140 to the frame processing unit 130.
  • the frame processing unit 130 then outputs the notification information contained in the management frame from the transceiver 140 and the control information contained in the control frame from the transceiver 140 to the management unit 120.
  • the management unit 120 also updates the aforementioned management information 121 based on the notification information and other information input from the frame processing unit 130.
  • the transmitter/receiver 140 transmits and receives data, notification information, control information, etc. to and from each of the shared APs 20 to which it belongs via wireless or wired communication.
  • the transmitter/receiver 140 When the sharing AP 10 communicates wirelessly with each of the shared APs 20, the transmitter/receiver 140 generates a wireless frame by adding a preamble, etc. to the MAC frame (data frame, management frame, control frame, etc.) input from the frame processing unit 130, and converts the generated wireless frame into a wireless signal.
  • the transmitter/receiver 140 then transmits (radiates) the converted wireless signal via an antenna.
  • the process of converting a wireless frame into a wireless signal includes, for example, convolutional coding, interleaving, subcarrier modulation, inverse fast Fourier transform, OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) modulation, and frequency conversion.
  • the transceiver 140 converts the wireless signal received from one of the shared APs 20 via the antenna into a wireless frame.
  • the process of converting the wireless signal into a wireless frame includes, for example, frequency conversion, OFDM demodulation, fast Fourier transform, subcarrier demodulation, deinterleaving, and Viterbi decoding.
  • Each of the transceivers 140 extracts a MAC frame from the converted wireless frame and outputs the extracted MAC frame to the frame processor 130.
  • multiple shared APs 20 belong to the sharing AP 10, and the multiple shared APs 20 use different frequency bands or channels to transmit and receive wireless signals to and from the transceiver 140 of the sharing AP 10.
  • the transmission/reception unit 140 When the sharing AP 10 communicates with each of the shared APs 20 via a wired network, the transmission/reception unit 140 is connected to each of the shared APs 20 to which it belongs via a wired network, and transmits and receives data, notification information, control information, etc. to and from each of the shared APs 20 via the wired network.
  • the transmission/reception unit 140 is configured as a network interface for the wired network.
  • the management unit 120 works in cooperation with the shared AP 20 and terminal 30 to which it belongs, to allocate (map) traffic transmitted and received between the sharing AP 10 and terminal 30. This allows traffic such as data transmitted from the sharing AP 10 to be allocated to the shared AP 20 to which it belongs. Based on the traffic allocation results, the management unit 120 instructs the frame processing unit 130 on the destination of the traffic. The frame processing unit 130 then causes the transmission/reception unit 140 to transmit the traffic to the shared AP 20 corresponding to the instruction from the management unit 120.
  • FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a shared AP according to an embodiment.
  • each of the shared APs 20-1 and 20-2 has the same functional configuration as the example shown in FIG. 7.
  • the shared AP 20 functions as a computer equipped with a management unit 210, a frame processing unit 220, a transmission/reception unit 230, and a wireless communication unit 240.
  • the management unit 210 and frame processing unit 220 are functional blocks that perform processing corresponding to the MAC sublayer of the second layer.
  • the wireless communication unit 240 is a functional block that performs processing corresponding to the MAC sublayer of the second layer and the first layer.
  • the transmission/reception unit 230 is a functional block that performs processing corresponding to the MAC sublayer of the second layer and the first layer
  • the transmission/reception unit 230 is a functional block that performs processing corresponding to the MAC sublayer of the second layer.
  • the transmitter/receiver 230 transmits and receives data, notification information, control information, etc. to and from the sharing AP 10 via wireless or wired communication.
  • the transmitter/receiver 230 When the shared AP 20 communicates wirelessly with the sharing AP 10, the transmitter/receiver 230 generates a wireless frame by adding a preamble, etc. to the MAC frame (data frame, management frame, control frame, etc.) input from the frame processing unit 220.
  • the transmitter/receiver 230 then converts the generated wireless frame into a wireless signal and transmits (radiates) the converted wireless signal to the sharing AP 10 via the antenna.
  • the conversion process from wireless frame to wireless signal is performed as described above.
  • the transceiver 230 also converts wireless signals received from the sharing AP 10 via the antenna into wireless frames. The conversion process from wireless signals to wireless frames is performed as described above. The transceiver 230 extracts MAC frames from the converted wireless frames and outputs the extracted MAC frames to the frame processor 220.
  • the transmission/reception unit 230 When the shared AP 20 communicates with the sharing AP 10 via a wired network, the transmission/reception unit 230 is connected to the sharing AP 10 via a wired network, and transmits and receives data, notification information, control information, etc. to and from the sharing AP 10 via the wired network.
  • the transmission/reception unit 230 is configured as a network interface for the wired network.
  • the frame processing unit 220 When the shared AP 20 communicates with the sharing AP 10 via a wired connection, the frame processing unit 220 generates a MAC frame that includes any of the data, notification information, control information, etc. that the transceiver unit 230 receives from the sharing AP 10. For example, the frame processing unit 220 adds a MAC header to the LLC packet received from the sharing AP 10 to generate a data frame that is a MAC frame. Furthermore, when the shared AP 20 communicates with the sharing AP 10 via a wired connection, the frame processing unit 220 receives a data frame that is a MAC frame from the wireless communication unit 240, extracts an LLC packet from the input data frame, and outputs the extracted LLC packet to the transceiver unit 230.
  • the frame processing unit 220 outputs notification information, control information, etc. from the management unit 210 to the transceiver unit 230.
  • the transceiver unit 230 then transmits the LLC packet, notification information, control information, etc. to the sharing AP 10 via wired connection.
  • the wireless communication unit 240 can transmit and receive data, notification information, control information, etc., via wireless communication with the wirelessly connected terminal 30. Therefore, the wireless communication unit 240 of the shared AP 20 can establish a wireless connection with each of the terminals 30 located within the communication area.
  • the wireless communication unit 240 generates a wireless frame by adding a preamble, etc., to the MAC frame (data frame, management frame, control frame, etc.) input from the frame processing unit 220.
  • the wireless communication unit 240 then converts the generated wireless frame into a wireless signal and transmits (radiates) the converted wireless signal to the corresponding terminal 30 via an antenna.
  • the conversion process from wireless frame to wireless signal is performed as described above.
  • the wireless communication unit 240 converts wireless signals received from the terminal 30 via the antenna into wireless frames.
  • the conversion process from wireless signals to wireless frames is performed as described above.
  • the wireless communication unit 240 extracts MAC frames from the converted wireless frames and outputs the extracted MAC frames to the frame processing unit 220.
  • the transceiver 230 be configured to transmit and receive using a frequency band or channel different from that of the wireless communication unit 240. Furthermore, when the shared AP 20 communicates wirelessly with the sharing AP 10, the transceiver 230 does not have to be provided. In this case, the shared AP 20 communicates wirelessly with the sharing AP 10 via the wireless communication unit 240.
  • the frame processing unit 220 outputs a data frame, which is a MAC frame, to the wireless communication unit 240.
  • a data frame which is a MAC frame
  • the frame processing unit 220 When notification information or control information is input to the frame processing unit 220 from either the transmission/reception unit 230 or the wireless communication unit 240, the frame processing unit 220 outputs the input notification information and control information to the management unit 210. Furthermore, when notification information or control information, etc. to be transmitted to the sharing AP 10 is input to the frame processing unit 220 from the management unit 210, the frame processing unit 220 outputs the input notification information and control information, etc. to the transmission/reception unit 230.
  • the frame processing unit 220 generates, as MAC frames, management frames containing notification information to be transmitted to the terminal 30 and control frames containing control information to be transmitted to the terminal 30.
  • the frame processing unit 220 then outputs the generated management frames and control frames, etc. to the wireless communication unit 240.
  • the notification information contained in the management frame is transmitted to the terminal 30 by transmitting a wireless signal converted from the management frame from the wireless communication unit 240.
  • the notification information notified from the shared AP 20 includes information about the sharing AP 10, information about the shared AP 20 of the local station, and information about the shared AP 20 of another station that belongs to the sharing AP 10.
  • the shared AP 20 may receive the information indicated in the above-mentioned management information 121 from the sharing AP 10 as notification information, and the management unit 210 may notify the information indicated in the management information 121 as notification information.
  • the management unit 210 also stores management information 211 related to the terminals 30 that are wirelessly connected to the local shared AP 20 in the multi-AP connection method.
  • the management information 211 indicates, for example, information related to the identifier for each of the terminals 30 that are wirelessly connected to the local shared AP 20.
  • the management information 211 also indicates, for example, the MAC address or the like as information related to the identifier for each of the terminals 30 that are wirelessly connected to the local shared AP 20.
  • the transmitter/receiver unit 230 also receives instructions from the sharing AP 10 regarding the transmission of traffic (data) between itself and the terminal 30 that is wirelessly connected to the sharing AP 10.
  • the management unit 210 controls data transmission (transmission and reception of data) between itself and the terminal 30 that is wirelessly connected to the shared AP 20 in accordance with the instructions from the sharing AP 10.
  • FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a terminal according to an embodiment.
  • each of terminals 30-1A, 30-1B, 30-2A, and 30-2B has the same functional configuration as the example shown in FIG. 8.
  • terminal 30 functions as a computer equipped with an upper layer processing unit 310, a management unit 320, a frame processing unit 330, and a wireless communication unit 340.
  • the upper layer processing unit 310 is a functional block that performs processing corresponding to the LLC sublayer of the second layer and layers 3 to 7.
  • the management unit 320 and frame processing unit 330 are functional blocks that perform processing corresponding to the MAC sublayer of the second layer.
  • the wireless communication unit 340 is a functional block that performs processing corresponding to the MAC sublayer of the second layer and layer 1.
  • the upper layer processing unit 310 generates LLC packets by adding DSAP headers, SSAP headers, etc. to the data.
  • the upper layer processing unit 310 then outputs the generated LLC packets to the frame processing unit 330.
  • the upper layer processing unit 310 also extracts data from the LLC packets input from the frame processing unit 330.
  • the upper layer processing unit 310 executes an application based on the extracted data.
  • the upper layer processing unit 310 can display application information on the display 35.
  • the upper layer processing unit 310 can also operate based on operations on the input interface.
  • the management unit 320 controls the connection (logical wireless connection) between the sharing AP 10 and its own terminal 30 in the multi-AP connection method.
  • the management unit 320 acquires notification information, control information, etc. by receiving notification information or control information from the shared AP 20 to which it is wirelessly connected.
  • the management unit 320 acquires information such as that indicated by the management information 121 described above by receiving notification information from the shared AP 20.
  • the management unit 320 controls the wireless connection with the shared AP 20 to which it is connected, based on the notification information, control information, etc. from the shared AP 20.
  • the management unit 320 also stores management information 321 related to the shared APs 20 to which the local terminal 30 will connect wirelessly in the multi-AP connection method.
  • the management information 321 indicates, for example, information related to the identifier for each shared AP 20 to which the local terminal 30 will connect.
  • the management information 321 also indicates, for example, the MAC address or the like as information related to the identifier for each shared AP 20 to which the local terminal 30 will connect.
  • the frame processing unit 330 adds a MAC header to the LLC packet input from the upper layer processing unit 310 to generate a MAC frame.
  • the frame processing unit 330 then outputs the generated MAC frame to the wireless communication unit 340.
  • the frame processing unit 330 also extracts any of the LLC packet, notification information, control information, etc. from the MAC frame input from the wireless communication unit 340 (data frame, management frame, control frame, etc.).
  • the frame processing unit 330 then outputs the LLC packet to the upper layer processing unit 310, and outputs the notification information, control information, etc. to the management unit 320.
  • the wireless communication unit 340 generates a wireless frame by adding a preamble and other information to the MAC frame input from the frame processing unit 330.
  • the wireless communication unit 340 then converts the generated wireless frame into a wireless signal and transmits (radiates) the converted wireless signal via an antenna.
  • the conversion process from a wireless frame to a wireless signal is performed as described above.
  • the wireless communication unit 340 also converts the wireless signal received via the antenna from the shared AP 20, which is the destination of the wireless connection, into a wireless frame.
  • the conversion process from the wireless signal to a wireless frame is performed as described above.
  • the wireless communication unit 340 extracts the MAC frame from the converted wireless frame and outputs the extracted MAC frame to the frame processing unit 330.
  • each terminal 30 acquires a transmission opportunity such as a channel occupation period (TXOP). Then, each terminal 30 transmits data to the shared AP 20 to which it is wirelessly connected during the acquired transmission opportunity. Furthermore, after each terminal 30 transmits data to the shared AP 20 during the acquired transmission opportunity, a remaining period of the transmission opportunity may occur. When a remaining period of the transmission opportunity occurs, each terminal 30 can transfer the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to another communication station. This makes it possible to perform TXOP sharing, in which transmission opportunities are shared among multiple communication stations.
  • TXOP channel occupation period
  • the following describes the process of transferring the remaining period of a transmission opportunity from the first terminal 30 ⁇ to another communication station when a remaining period occurs during a transmission opportunity for a first terminal 30 ⁇ , which is any one of the terminals 30, to transmit data to the first AP 20 ⁇ , which is a shared AP 20 to which it is wirelessly connected.
  • the management unit 320 of the first terminal 30 ⁇ causes the wireless communication unit 340 to send notification information to the first AP 20 ⁇ , which is the destination of the data at the transmission opportunity, notifying the first AP 20 ⁇ that the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be transferred.
  • the management unit 320 of the first terminal 30 ⁇ causes a notification to be transmitted after data transmission to the first AP 20 ⁇ is completed at the transmission opportunity, to transfer the remaining period of the transmission opportunity.
  • the management unit 320 of the first terminal 30 ⁇ causes a request to send (RTS) signal including a notification to transfer the remaining period of the transmission opportunity before transmitting data to the first AP 20 ⁇ at the transmission opportunity.
  • RTS request to send
  • notification information to transfer the remaining period of the transmission opportunity is embedded in the management frame that becomes the RTS signal.
  • the management unit 320 of the first terminal 30 ⁇ causes a notification to transfer the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to be transmitted together with the data to be transmitted to the first AP 20 ⁇ at the transmission opportunity. In this case, for example, notification information to transfer the remaining period of the transmission opportunity is embedded in the data unit including the data to be transmitted to the first AP 20 ⁇ .
  • the first AP 20 ⁇ may allocate the remaining period of the transmission opportunity transferred from the first terminal 30 ⁇ to itself, or to a terminal 30 located in its communication area.
  • the first AP 20 ⁇ may also allocate the remaining period of the transmission opportunity transferred from the first terminal 30 ⁇ to a communication station belonging to a different BSS from the first AP 20 ⁇ .
  • the remaining period of the transmission opportunity transferred from the first terminal 30 ⁇ is allocated to one or more of a shared AP 20 whose communication area is different from that of the first AP 20 ⁇ and a terminal 30 wirelessly connected to a shared AP 20 whose communication area is different from that of the first AP 20 ⁇ .
  • the management unit 210 of the first AP 20 ⁇ causes the transceiver unit 230 to send a notification transferring the remaining period of the transmission opportunity from the first terminal 30 ⁇ to the first AP 20 ⁇ as notification information to the sharing AP 10. For example, after the first AP 20 ⁇ has completed receiving data from the first terminal 30 ⁇ during the transmission opportunity, the notification transferring the remaining period of the transmission opportunity is sent to the sharing AP 10.
  • FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by a sharing AP in an embodiment when a transmission opportunity is shared among multiple communication stations belonging to different BSSs.
  • the example processing in FIG. 9 is performed when the remaining period of a transmission opportunity from the first terminal 30 ⁇ to the first AP 20 ⁇ is transferred to a communication station belonging to a BSS different from that of the first AP 20 ⁇ .
  • the transceiver unit 140 of the sharing AP 10 receives notification information from the first terminal 30 ⁇ to transfer the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to the first AP 20 ⁇ (S401).
  • the transceiver unit 140 receives the notification information transmitted from the first AP 20 ⁇ .
  • the first terminal 30 ⁇ notifies the sharing AP 10, via the first AP 20 ⁇ , that the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be transferred.
  • the management unit 120 of the sharing AP 10 selects one or more shared APs 20 other than the first AP 20 ⁇ to which the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be allocated, based on the communication status in the multi-AP connection method including the aforementioned management information 121 (S402).
  • one or more shared APs 20 that belong to the sharing AP 10 and have a different communication area from the first AP 20 ⁇ are selected to which the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be allocated.
  • a shared AP 20 that is waiting to send or receive low-latency traffic with the terminal 30 is preferentially selected as the shared AP 20 to which the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be allocated.
  • a shared AP 20 with large fluctuations in throughput is preferentially selected as the shared AP 20 to which the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be allocated.
  • the management unit 120 of the sharing AP 10 causes the transceiver unit 140 to transmit notification information to each of the one or more selected shared APs 20, notifying them that at least a portion of the remaining period of the transmission opportunity is allocated as a communication available period (S403). This notifies one or more shared APs 20 other than the first AP 20 ⁇ that the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be allocated.
  • the management unit 120 allocates the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to only one shared AP 20.
  • the management unit 120 allocates the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to multiple shared APs 20. In this case, a portion of the remaining period is allocated as a communication available period to each of the multiple shared APs 20, so that the communication available periods allocated among the multiple shared APs 20 do not overlap.
  • any one of the one or more shared APs 20 to which the remaining period of the transmission opportunity is allocated is referred to as the second AP 20 ⁇ .
  • the second AP 20 ⁇ has a different communication area than the first AP 20 ⁇ .
  • the transceiver unit 230 of the second AP 20 ⁇ receives, as notification information from the sharing AP 10, a notification that at least a portion of the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be allocated to the second AP 20 ⁇ as a communication period. This notifies the second AP 20 ⁇ that at least a portion of the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be allocated to the second AP 20 ⁇ as a communication period.
  • the management unit 120 of the sharing AP 10 in response to receiving a notification from the first AP 20 ⁇ to transfer the remaining period of the transmission opportunity, notifies one or more shared APs 20 other than the first AP 20 ⁇ , including the second AP 20 ⁇ , that at least a portion of the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be allocated to the second AP 20 ⁇ as a communication enabled period.
  • This makes it possible for the management unit 120 to allocate (transfer) at least a portion of the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to each of one or more shared APs 20, including the second AP 20 ⁇ , whose communication enabled areas are different from those of the first AP 20 ⁇ .
  • the management unit 210 of the second AP 20 ⁇ allocates the communication period to one or more of the communication stations that make up the BSS to which the second AP 20 ⁇ belongs.
  • the management unit 210 may allocate the communication period to the second AP 20 ⁇ , which is the second AP 20 ⁇ itself, or may allocate the communication period to a terminal 30 located in the communication area of the second AP 20 ⁇ .
  • at least a portion of the communication period is allocated to a second terminal 30 ⁇ that is different from the first terminal 30 ⁇ located in the communication area of the second AP 20 ⁇ .
  • the management unit 210 of the second AP 20 ⁇ may allocate the communication period to only one communication station, or may allocate the communication period to multiple communication stations. However, when allocating the communication period to multiple communication stations, a portion of the communication period is allocated to each of the multiple communication stations so that the allocated periods do not overlap among the multiple communication stations.
  • the management unit 210 of each shared AP 20 other than the second AP 20 ⁇ also allocates the communication period to one or more of the communication stations that make up the BSS to which the station belongs, in the same manner as the second AP 20 ⁇ .
  • FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of communication processing performed in an operation in which transmission opportunities are shared among multiple communication stations belonging to different BSSs in a communication system according to an embodiment.
  • terminal 30-1A STA1A
  • AP1 shared AP 20-1
  • Terminal 30-1A acquires a TXOP or the like as a transmission opportunity to transmit data to shared AP 20-1.
  • STA1A transmits an RTS signal before transmitting data to AP1 (S501). Then, in response to receiving the RTS signal, AP1 transmits a CTS (clear to send) signal to STA1 (S502). Then, in response to receiving the CTS signal, STA1A transmits data (DATA) to AP1 at the acquired transmission opportunity (S503). Then, in response to completing reception of data from STA1A, AP1 transmits a block acknowledgement (BA) to STA1A (S504).
  • CTS carrier to send
  • AP0 in response to receiving notification information from AP1, AP0 selects shared AP 20-2 (AP2) as the shared AP 20 to allocate the remaining period of the transmission opportunity. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 10, AP2 corresponds to the second AP 20 ⁇ described above. AP0 then transmits notification information (TX-G) to AP2, allocating at least a portion of the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to AP2 as a communication available period (S507). Then, in the example of FIG. 10, in response to receiving notification information from AP0, AP2 then transmits notification information (TX-G) to STA2A, allocating a communication available period to terminal 30-2A (STA2A) located in the communication available area of AP2 (S508). Therefore, in the example of FIG. 10, among the communication stations constituting the BSS to which AP2 belongs, the communication available period is allocated to STA2A, and STA2A corresponds to the second terminal 30 ⁇ described above.
  • TX-G notification information
  • STA2A then transmits data (DATA) to AP2 during the allocated communication period, i.e., during at least part of the remaining period of the aforementioned transmission opportunity (S509). Then, AP2 transmits a block acknowledgement (BA) to STA2A in response to the completion of reception of the data from STA2A (S510).
  • DATA data
  • AP2 transmits a block acknowledgement (BA) to STA2A in response to the completion of reception of the data from STA2A (S510).
  • BA block acknowledgement
  • FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing another example of communication processing performed in a communication system according to an embodiment, in which a transmission opportunity is shared among multiple communication stations belonging to different BSSs.
  • terminal 30-1A which corresponds to first terminal 30 ⁇
  • AP1 shared AP 20-1
  • a residual period occurs in the transmission opportunity acquired by STA1A.
  • the management unit 320 of STA1A determines that a remaining period of a transmission opportunity will occur based on the amount of data to be transmitted and the length of the TXOP, etc., that will be the transmission opportunity. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 11, STA1A transmits an RTS signal to AP1 that includes a notification (TX-G) to transfer the remaining period of the transmission opportunity (S511). At this time, the notification included in the RTS signal indicates, for example, that only a portion of the acquired transmission opportunity will be used to transmit data to AP1. This notifies AP1 that the remaining period of the transmission opportunity that will not be used for data transmission will be transferred.
  • AP1 when AP1 receives the RTS signal, similar to the example of FIG. 10, AP1 transmits a CTS signal to STA1 (S512), STA1A transmits data (DATA) to AP1 (S513), and AP1 transmits a block acknowledgment (BA) to STA1A (S514) in that order.
  • AP1 before transmitting the data, AP1 is notified that the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be transferred. Therefore, after transmitting the block acknowledgment to STA1A, AP1 transmits a notification (TX-G) to the sharing AP10 (AP0) as notification information, without performing wireless communication with STA1A, etc. (S515).
  • TX-G notification
  • AP0 when AP0 receives notification information from AP1, similar to the example of FIG. 10, AP0 transmits notification information (TX-G) to AP2, which corresponds to the second AP 20 ⁇ , allocating at least a portion of the remaining period of the transmission opportunity as a communication period to shared AP 20-2 (AP2) (S516). Then, AP2 transmits notification information (TX-G) to STA2A, which allocates a communication period to terminal 30-2A (STA2A), which corresponds to the second terminal 30 ⁇ (S517). Then, similar to the example of FIG. 10, during the allocated communication period, data (DATA) is transmitted from STA2A to AP2 (S518), and a block acknowledgment (BA) is transmitted from AP2 to STA2A (S519).
  • DATA data
  • BA block acknowledgment
  • FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram showing another example of communication processing, different from those shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, performed in a communication system according to an embodiment, in which a transmission opportunity is shared among multiple communication stations belonging to different BSSs.
  • terminal 30-1A STA1A
  • AP1 shared AP 20-1
  • AP1A shared AP 20-1
  • the management unit 320 of STA1A determines that a remaining period of the transmission opportunity will occur before data transmission to AP1 is completed, based on the amount of data to be transmitted and the length of the TXOP, etc. that will serve as the transmission opportunity. Then, in the example of FIG. 12, STA1A transmits a notification (TX-G) to AP1, along with the data (DATA), to transfer the remaining period of the transmission opportunity (S523). At this time, for example, notification information notifying AP1 that the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be transferred is embedded in the data unit containing the data to AP1.
  • AP1 is notified that the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be transferred in response to the completion of AP1's reception of data from STA1A.
  • AP1 transmits a block acknowledgment (BA) to STA1A in response to the completion of data reception from STA1A (S524).
  • BA block acknowledgment
  • AP1 is notified that the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be transferred before data transmission is completed. Therefore, after AP1 sends a block acknowledgment to STA1A, it transmits a notification (TX-G) transferring the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to the sharing AP10 (AP0) as notification information without performing wireless communication with STA1A (S525).
  • TX-G a notification
  • AP0 when AP0 receives notification information from AP1, similar to the example of FIG. 10, AP0 transmits notification information (TX-G) to AP2, which corresponds to the second AP 20 ⁇ , allocating at least a portion of the remaining period of the transmission opportunity as a communication period to shared AP 20-2 (AP2) (S526). Then, AP2 transmits notification information (TX-G) to STA2A, which allocates a communication period to terminal 30-2A (STA2A), which corresponds to the second terminal 30 ⁇ (S527). Then, similar to the example of FIG. 10, during the allocated communication period, data (DATA) is transmitted from STA2A to AP2 (S528), and a block acknowledgement (BA) is transmitted from AP2 to STA2A (S529).
  • DATA data
  • BA block acknowledgement
  • FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the format of a remaining period allocation frame used in an embodiment.
  • two shared APs 20 ⁇ and 20 ⁇ other than the first AP 20 ⁇ are selected by the sharing AP 10 as the destinations for the allocation of the remaining period of the transmission opportunity. That is, in addition to the second AP 20 ⁇ , the communication available period is allocated to a third AP 20 ⁇ , which is a shared AP 20 other than the first AP 20 ⁇ and the second AP 20 ⁇ .
  • a remaining period allocation frame used in notification from the sharing AP 10 to the shared APs 20 ⁇ and 20 ⁇ is shown.
  • the remaining period allocation frame includes address fields (RA and TA) and an FCS (Frame check sequence) field, as well as a notification field for each of the one or more communication periods to be allocated.
  • Each notification field indicates the start time and duration of the corresponding communication period, as well as the identifier of the communication station to which the corresponding communication period is allocated.
  • the identifier of the communication station to which the communication period is allocated is indicated, for example, by the MAC address of the communication station.
  • the notification field for the communication period to be allocated to the second AP 20 ⁇ indicates the start time and duration of the communication period, as well as the identifier of the second AP 20 ⁇ to which the communication period is allocated.
  • the notification field for the communication period to be allocated to the third AP 20 ⁇ indicates the start time and duration of the communication period, as well as the identifier of the third AP 20 ⁇ to which the communication period is allocated.
  • the remaining period allocation frame used includes a notification field regarding the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to be transferred to the first AP 20 ⁇ .
  • the notification field indicates the start time and length of the remaining period to be transferred, as well as the identifier of the first AP 20 ⁇ to which the remaining period will be transferred.
  • the identifier of the first AP 20 ⁇ is indicated, for example, by the MAC address of the first AP 20 ⁇ .
  • the remaining period allocation frame used includes a notification field regarding the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to be transferred to the sharing AP 10.
  • the notification field indicates the start time and length of the remaining period to be transferred, as well as the identifier of the sharing AP 10 to which the remaining period will be transferred.
  • the identifier of the sharing AP 10 is indicated, for example, by the MAC address of the sharing AP 10.
  • the remaining period allocation frame used in the notification from the second AP 20 ⁇ to the allocation-recipient terminal 30 includes a notification field for each of the periods allocated to one or more terminals 30.
  • Each notification field indicates the start time and duration of the corresponding period, as well as the identifier of the terminal 30 to which the corresponding period is allocated.
  • the identifier of the allocation-recipient terminal 30 is indicated, for example, by the MAC address of that terminal 30.
  • the remaining period allocation frame used in the notification from that shared AP 20 to the allocation-recipient terminal 30 includes a notification field for each of the periods allocated to one or more terminals 30, just like the remaining period allocation frame used in the notification from the second AP 20 ⁇ to the allocation-recipient terminal 30.
  • the aforementioned notification field is added to a management frame used to notify notification information other than information related to the transfer of the remaining period of a transmission opportunity, and information about the remaining period and the allocated communication period is notified.
  • the aforementioned notification field is added to a control frame used to send and receive control information, and information about the remaining period and the allocated communication period is notified.
  • the sharing AP 10 in response to receiving a notification from the first terminal 30 ⁇ to transfer the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to the first AP 20 ⁇ , the sharing AP 10 allocates at least a portion of the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to the second AP 20 ⁇ , which has a different communication area from the first AP 20 ⁇ .
  • This makes it possible to allocate the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to an AP other than the first AP 20 ⁇ , which is the destination of data transmission during the acquired transmission opportunity. Therefore, it becomes possible to allocate the remaining period of the acquired transmission opportunity to a shared AP 20 belonging to a different BSS from the first terminal 30 ⁇ , making it possible to share the transmission opportunity among multiple communication stations belonging to different BSSs.
  • the second AP 20 ⁇ when at least a portion of the remaining period of a transmission opportunity is allocated to the second AP 20 ⁇ as a communication enabled period, the second AP 20 ⁇ can allocate at least a portion of the communication enabled period to a second terminal 30 ⁇ , etc., other than the first terminal 30 ⁇ , located in the communication enabled area of the second AP 20 ⁇ . This makes it possible to allocate the remaining period of a transmission opportunity acquired by the first terminal 30 ⁇ to a terminal 30 belonging to a different BSS from the first terminal 30 ⁇ . Therefore, transmission opportunities can be shared among multiple terminals 30 belonging to different BSSs.
  • the sharing AP 10 when the sharing AP 10 notifies the second AP 20 ⁇ of the allocation of a communication period, the sharing AP 10 notifies the second AP 20 ⁇ of the start time and duration of the communication period, and the identifier of the second AP 20 ⁇ to which the communication period is allocated, by including the notification information.
  • This allows the second AP 20 ⁇ to be notified of information about the allocated communication period without transmitting a trigger signal or the like to the second AP 20 ⁇ at the start time of the allocated communication period separately from the notification allocating the communication period. This reduces the number of frame exchanges between communication stations in TXOP sharing, in which transmission opportunities are shared among multiple communication stations belonging to different BSSs, thereby reducing overhead.
  • the first AP 20 ⁇ can wirelessly communicate with other shared APs 20 located in the communication area without using the sharing AP 10 in between.
  • the first AP 20 ⁇ can perform D2D (device to device) communication with other shared APs 20 located in the communication area.
  • Figure 14 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the first AP, which is one of the shared APs, when a transmission opportunity is shared among multiple communication stations belonging to different BSSs in one variant.
  • the example processing in Figure 14 is performed when the remaining period of a transmission opportunity from the first terminal 30 ⁇ to the first AP 20 ⁇ is transferred to a communication station belonging to a BSS different from the first AP 20 ⁇ .
  • the wireless communication unit 240 of the first AP 20 ⁇ receives notification information from the first terminal 30 ⁇ to transfer the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to the first AP 20 ⁇ (S411). At this time, the wireless communication unit 240 receives the notification information transmitted from the first terminal 30 ⁇ . As a result, the first terminal 30 ⁇ directly notifies the first AP 20 ⁇ that the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be transferred. Then, based on the communication status in the multi-AP connection method, the management unit 210 of the first AP 20 ⁇ selects one or more shared APs 20 that can wirelessly communicate with the first AP 20 ⁇ without going through the sharing AP 10 to which the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be allocated (S412). As a result, one or more shared APs 20 that belong to the sharing AP 10 and have a communication coverage area different from that of the first AP 20 ⁇ are selected to which the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be allocated.
  • the management unit 210 of the first AP 20 ⁇ causes the wireless communication unit 240 to transmit notification information to each of the one or more selected shared APs 20, allocating at least a portion of the remaining period of the transmission opportunity as a communication-enabled period (S413).
  • the first AP 20 ⁇ notifies one or more shared APs 20 other than the first AP 20 ⁇ that the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be allocated, without going through the sharing AP 10.
  • any one of the one or more shared APs 20 to which the remaining period of the transmission opportunity is allocated is referred to as the second AP 20 ⁇ .
  • the example process of FIG. 14 is performed by the first AP 20 ⁇ , and the wireless communication unit 240 of the second AP 20 ⁇ receives notification information from the first AP 20 ⁇ notifying the second AP 20 ⁇ that at least a portion of the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be allocated to the second AP 20 ⁇ as a communication-enabled period.
  • the second AP 20 ⁇ is notified, without going through the sharing AP 10, that at least a portion of the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be allocated to the second AP 20 ⁇ as a communication-enabled period.
  • the management unit 210 of the first AP 20 ⁇ in response to receiving a notification from the first terminal 30 ⁇ to transfer the remaining period of the transmission opportunity, notifies one or more shared APs 20 other than the first AP 20 ⁇ , including the second AP 20 ⁇ , that at least a portion of the remaining period of the transmission opportunity will be allocated to the second AP 20 ⁇ as a communication available period.
  • the management unit 210 of the second AP 20 ⁇ allocates the communication available period to one or more communication stations that make up the BSS to which the second AP 20 ⁇ belongs, in a manner similar to the above-described embodiment, etc.
  • FIG. 15 is a sequence diagram showing an example of communication processing performed in an operation in which a transmission opportunity is shared among multiple communication stations belonging to different BSSs in a communication system relating to the modified example of FIG. 14.
  • terminal 30-1A STA1A
  • AP1 shared AP 20-1
  • an RTS signal is transmitted from STA1 to AP1 (S531), a CTS signal is transmitted from AP1 to STA1 (S532), data (DATA) is transmitted from STA1A to AP1 (S533), and a block acknowledgement (BA) is transmitted from AP1 to STA1A (S534) in sequence.
  • STA1A receives a block acknowledgment from AP1, it sends notification information (TX-G) to AP1 to transfer the remaining period of the transmission opportunity (S535).
  • TX-G notification information
  • AP1 is able to wirelessly communicate with AP2, which corresponds to the aforementioned second AP 20 ⁇ , via D2D communication or the like, without AP0 being used in between. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 15, in response to receiving the notification information from STA1A, AP1 transmits to AP2 a notification (TX-G) as notification information, allocating at least a portion of the remaining period of the transmission opportunity as a communication available period to AP2 (S536). At this time, the notification information is transmitted from AP1 to AP2 without AP0 being used in between.
  • TX-G notification
  • AP2 when AP2 receives the notification information, similar to the example of FIG. 10, AP2 transmits to STA2A a notification (TX-G) allocating a communication period to terminal 30-2A (STA2A) corresponding to second terminal 30 ⁇ (S537). Then, similar to the example of FIG. 10, during the allocated communication period, data (DATA) is transmitted from STA2A to AP2 (S538), and a block acknowledgement (BA) is transmitted from AP2 to STA2A (S539) in sequence.
  • TX-G notification allocating a communication period to terminal 30-2A (STA2A) corresponding to second terminal 30 ⁇
  • DATA data
  • BA block acknowledgement
  • AP1 transmits notification information to AP2 without AP0 going through, and similar to the example in FIG. 11, STA1A transmits a notification (TX-G) to AP1 to transfer the remaining period of the transmission opportunity, including it in an RTS signal.
  • STA1A transmits notification information to AP2 without AP0 going through, and similar to the example in FIG. 12, STA1A transmits a notification (TX-G) to AP1 to transfer the remaining period of the transmission opportunity, together with data (DATA).
  • TX-G notification
  • the first AP 20 ⁇ which is one of the shared APs 20, responds to receiving a notification from the first terminal 30 ⁇ to transfer the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to the first AP 20 ⁇ by allocating at least a portion of the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to the second AP 20 ⁇ , which has a different communication area from the first AP 20 ⁇ .
  • the remaining period of the transmission opportunity it is possible to allocate the remaining period of the transmission opportunity to an AP other than the first AP 20 ⁇ , which is the destination of data transmission during the acquired transmission opportunity. Therefore, even in this modified example, it is possible to allocate the remaining period of the acquired transmission opportunity to a communication station belonging to a different BSS from the first terminal 30 ⁇ , making it possible to share a transmission opportunity among multiple communication stations belonging to different BSSs.
  • the number of shared APs 20 belonging to a sharing AP 10 is not particularly limited, as long as it is plural.
  • the remaining period of a transmission opportunity from the first terminal 30 ⁇ to the first AP 20 ⁇ can be allocated to a communication station belonging to a BSS different from that of the first terminal 30 ⁇ , making it possible to share transmission opportunities between multiple communication stations belonging to different BSSs.
  • the functions of the sharing AP and the shared AP are completely separate, but in some variations, the sharing AP may also have the functions of a shared AP.
  • the sharing AP 10 may perform the processing of the shared AP 20-1 in addition to the processing described above.
  • the sharing AP 10 has, as its functional configuration, an upper layer processing unit 110, a management unit 120, a frame processing unit 130, and a transmission/reception unit 140, as well as a management unit 210, a frame processing unit 220, and a wireless communication unit 240.
  • the transmitter/receiver 140 transmits and receives data, management information, control information, etc., via wireless or wired communication with each of the shared APs 20 to which it belongs, such as shared AP 20-2.
  • the wireless communication unit 240 can transmit and receive data, management information, control information, etc., via wireless communication with each of the terminals 30 located within the communication area. Furthermore, data, management information, control information, etc. are exchanged between the frame processing unit 130 included in the functionality of the sharing AP 10 and the frame processing unit 220 included in the functionality of the shared AP.
  • a remaining period occurs in the opportunity to transmit data from the first terminal 30 ⁇ to the sharing AP (first AP) 10.
  • the second AP 20 ⁇ which is one of the shared APs 20 belonging to the sharing AP 10.
  • connection between the sharing AP 10 and the terminal 30 goes through one shared AP 20, but in one variation, the connection between the sharing AP 10 and the terminal 30 may go through two or more shared APs.
  • processing of the above-described embodiments can also be applied to a multi-AP connection method with a multi-stage configuration in which two or more shared APs 20 are interposed between the sharing AP 10 and the terminal 30.
  • the processes of the above-mentioned embodiments can be stored as a program that can be executed by a processor, which is a computer. Furthermore, a program that executes the above-mentioned processes can be stored and distributed in a storage medium of an external storage device, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or semiconductor memory. The processor can then read the program stored in the storage medium of this external storage device, and its operation can be controlled by the read program, thereby executing the processes of the embodiments.
  • a processor which is a computer.
  • a program that executes the above-mentioned processes can be stored and distributed in a storage medium of an external storage device, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or semiconductor memory.
  • the processor can then read the program stored in the storage medium of this external storage device, and its operation can be controlled by the read program, thereby executing the processes of the embodiments.
  • the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the various embodiments may be implemented in appropriate combinations, in which case the combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combining selected elements from the multiple elements disclosed. For example, if the problem can be solved and the desired effect can be obtained even if some elements are deleted from all elements shown in the embodiments, the configuration from which these elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention porte sur un point d'accès qui, selon un mode de réalisation, comprend une unité de gestion. En réponse à la réception d'une notification pour transférer une période restante d'une opportunité d'émission d'un premier terminal à un premier point d'accès, l'unité de gestion attribue au moins une partie de la période restante de l'opportunité d'émission à un second point d'accès ayant une zone de communication différente de celle du premier point d'accès.
PCT/JP2024/002931 2024-01-30 2024-01-30 Point d'accès, point d'accès partagé et terminal Pending WO2025163770A1 (fr)

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PCT/JP2024/002931 WO2025163770A1 (fr) 2024-01-30 2024-01-30 Point d'accès, point d'accès partagé et terminal

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Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
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US20200245352A1 (en) * 2019-01-29 2020-07-30 Mediatek Singapore Pte. Ltd. Method and apparatus for coordinated multi-access point channel access in a wireless network
US20210194659A1 (en) * 2019-12-20 2021-06-24 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Method and apparatus for coordinating multi-user multi-access point trnsmissions

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20200245352A1 (en) * 2019-01-29 2020-07-30 Mediatek Singapore Pte. Ltd. Method and apparatus for coordinated multi-access point channel access in a wireless network
US20210194659A1 (en) * 2019-12-20 2021-06-24 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Method and apparatus for coordinating multi-user multi-access point trnsmissions

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